L. MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. – President Donald Trump is dealing with peace negotiations in the Middle East, he just got back from the G7 summit in Europe, and his administration is trying to get algae out of the reflecting pool.
But on Tuesday, he took a break from all that to come to Mack Trucks in Lower Macungie Township to talk with his supporters. His speech focused on the economy, and backing our region’s Republican representatives in Congress.
“I love Allentown. I love any place that votes for me, which is the entire state of Pennsylvania,” said President Trump.
Tuesday was the President’s first stop of the year in the Lehigh Valley, and his biggest supporters were pretty excited, despite the rain.
“We diehard Trump supporters, I would tie myself to a tree if the boss was going to speak in the middle of a hurricane,” said supporter Edward Young.
We asked what his supporters wanted him to speak about.
“Just looking to hear about creating more jobs and the economy. Talking about signing the peace treaty. That’s what we care about, world peace,” said Barbara Halkias.
Peace was definitely on the President’s mind.
“We just achieved a historic peace agreement with Iran to end the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz,” said President Trump.
While a memorandum of understanding has been signed, there’s no permanent peace deal with Iran just yet.
“The stock market hit a new high today again,” said President Trump.
Actually, the Dow Jones, the S & P 500, the Nasdaq, and the New York Stock Exchange all ended the day down Tuesday, thanks to a sell-off of A.I.-related companies. But Trump praised the U.S. economy overall, saying companies like Mack Trucks are benefiting from his policies.
“I imposed a 25-percent tariff on medium and heavy-duty trucks, so that Mack Truck could do very well with this factory in Pennsylvania,” said President Trump.
But the reality is less rosy.
Under the Biden administration, Mack Trucks announced it was opening a new plant, not in Pennsylvania, but in Mexico. Then last year, the company laid off up to 350 workers at the plant in Lower Macungie, blaming the tariffs as part of the reason.
But the President argued, under him, the future of the economy is bright.
“Countries from all over the world are all investing in the United States. Two years ago, they wouldn’t even think of it,” said President Trump.
And the Republican congressmen he’s supporting, including Ryan Mackenzie and Dan Mueser, tend to agree.
“Make sure you vote for our congressmen here. I’m not doing this for my health,” said President Trump.
President Trump’s supporters told us they expect to see him again before the midterms given how important Pennsylvania is to holding the House.
“In ’24, we saw the President all through the state of Pennsylvania, and I think that we’re going to see him here for key districts as well this year,” said supporter Blake Marnell.
See full article on 69 WFMZ News HERE
Mack Defense, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mack Trucks, is responsible for the sale of heavy-duty trucks to federal- and ministerial-level customers globally. For more information, please visit mackdefense.org.
Mack Defense, LLC, is part of the Volvo Group, which is driving prosperity through transport solutions by offering trucks, buses, construction equipment, power solutions for marine and industrial applications, financing and services that increase customer uptime and productivity. Founded in 1927, the Volvo Group is committed to shaping the future landscape of sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions. The Volvo Group is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, employs about 100,000 people and serves customers in more than 190 markets. In 2022, net sales amounted to about $47 billion. Volvo shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. For more information, please visit www.volvogroup.com.
This effort was sponsored by the U.S. Government under Other Transaction Authority number W15QKN-17-9-1025 with the National Advanced Mobility Consortium, Inc. (NAMC). Reference herein to any specific commercial company, product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or the Department of the Army (DA). The opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government, the DA, or the National Advanced Mobility Consortium, Inc., and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. For more information, please visit www.namcconsortium.org.